Orange County NC Website
MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />February 23, 2006 <br />Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 1 February 23, 2006 <br />ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance the quality of <br />life, promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County <br />community. <br /> <br />THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MET ON February 23, 2006 at the Southern <br />Human Services Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br /> <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Jessica Lee, Chair; Matt Vizithum, Vice-Chair; <br />Sharon Freeland; Chris Harlan; Alan Rimer; Alice White; Tim Carey; Jim Stefanadis; <br /> <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Sharon Van Horn; DeWana Anderson, out of town <br />meeting conflict; Moses Carey, Jr., meeting conflict <br /> <br />STAFF PRESENT: Rosemary Summers, Health Director; Angela Cooke, Dental Health <br />Services Division Director; Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Services Division Director; <br />Donna King, Health Promotion and Education Division Director; Wayne Sherman, Personal <br />Health Services Division Director; Anne Miles Cassell, Administrative Assistant; <br /> <br />GUESTS PRESENT: None <br /> <br />I. Jessica Lee called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. <br /> <br />II. Educational Presentation: Anatomy of an Outbreak Investigation <br />Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Services Division Director <br /> <br />The department EPI team that includes the Health Director, communicable disease <br />nurse(s), health educators, environmental health specialists, epidemiology statistician and <br />public information officer, investigates all outbreaks. The department is legally required <br />to report all outbreaks to the state after the investigation is complete. <br /> <br />The department is made aware of an outbreak through active and passive surveillance by <br />medical providers, hospitals, and citizens that contact the health department. <br />Coordination with the Regional EPI Surveillance Team alerts the department to outbreaks <br />in neighboring counties that may affect Orange County. <br /> <br />Outbreak investigations in the past 15 years have included Meningococcal cases, <br />Norovirus (seven within the last two years), Bacillus cereus toxin, fish and shellfish toxins, <br />Hep A prophylaxis campaign, Shigella, and SARS. <br /> <br />Jessica Lee questioned the steps taken to avoid putting staff in danger in an outbreak <br />that is potentially highly contagious. The investigating staff members have been fitted <br />with N95 respirators as a precautionary measure in the event a highly contagious <br />outbreak occurs. Also, a lot of the investigation is done over the phone and does not <br />involve exposure. <br /> <br />II. Approval of February 23, 2006 Agenda <br />